Safety attachment for cotton-gins.



' Patented Feb. 27, I900.

A. n. THOMAS. SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR COTTON GINS.

(Application filed Oct. 14 1899.)

3 Sheets-Sheet (No Modem No. 644,156. Patented Feb. 27, I900.

A; D. THOMAS..

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOB COTTON GINS.

(Application filed Oct 14, 1899.

3 Sheds-Sheet 2,

(No Modl.)

170 672357? ilfinerfiZ/zomas.

N0. 644,!56. Patented Feb; 27, 19 00. A. n. THOMAS.

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOB COTTON GIN SI (Application filed Oct. 14, 1899.)(N0 M m 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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Nrrnn STATES PATENT ABNER D. THOMAS, OF LITTLE/ROCK, ARKANSAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,156, dated February27, 1900. Application filed October 14,1899. Serial No. 733,564- (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ABNER D. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Little Rock, county of Pulaski, State of Arkansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Attachments forCotton-Gins, of which the following is a specification.

One of the greatest troubles a ginner has to contend with in thepractical ginning of cotton is that of cotton fiber getting into theribs of the gin, owing to imperfect removal of the cotton from the sawsby the gin-brush, which fails to perfectly perform its function whenfrom any cause the condenser back of thesaws becomes clogged or thebrush-belt slips. In either case a quantity of the lint-cotton followsthe saws around back to the lower end of the ribs, where it clogs in theslots between the ribs, frequently breaking the latter. The saws thencarry some of the lint-cotton to the upper spaces between the ribs,which are usually narrower than the lower space and readily fill withthe lint-cotton tightly wedged in, which being acted on byrapidly-revolving saws soon takes fire. Wads of the ignited cotton arethen pulled out by the saws and by the brush and air-blast carried intothe condenser-fine and soon into the press. These wads of cotton arerarely ever blazing, but smolder in the manner of punk, in whichcondition they are baled into the cotton and often at unexpected timeseat out through the bale, causing serious fires, generally supposed tohave been of incendiary origin. It is one of the objects of my inventionto provide means whereby when this defective working of the gin occursthe gin-breast will be automatically lifted from the saws, so that theywill no longer be in operative contact with the cotton and the feed ofthe cotton to the saws will be stopped, and another object is to providemeans whereby the breasts of a series of gins, or of any one of them,may be raised or lowered at will, as will appear hereinafter.

My invention consists of the parts and coinbinations hereinafter morefully described, and definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a View in perspective of a saw-gin providedwith my improvements. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a detail showing the connection between the breast-raisingshaft and the operative arm therefor. Fig. 4 is a perspective viewshowing a series of gins provided with my improved automatic attachmentand also with means for raising and lowering the breasts of all the ginsof the series simulta neously.

Mounted in suitable bearings a on the main supporting-frame A of themachine is the sawshaft a, carrying the usual series of saws a anddriven from any usual source of power through suitable means, as thepulley a to the left of Fig. 1. To the rear of the sawshaft a is theshaft 1), journaled in suitable supports b on the main frame A andhaving secured thereto the usual brush b for removing the lint from thesaws. The brush-shaft Z) is driven from the saw-shaft by means of the,belt 19 which passes over pulleys a b on the saw and brush shafts,respectively, as will be obvious from Figs. 1 and 2. In proper relativeposition to the brush b is the flue 11 formed by the walls (F, 12 and band leading to the condenser. (Not necessary to here show or describe.)The parts so far alluded to are and may be of the usual construction.

Suitably hinged to the front of the gin, as at c, is the gin-breast O,carrying the gin-ribs c, Fig. 1, between which the saws a revolve whenthe parts are in normal working position. When, however, the breast O isturned upon its hinge or pivot c, the ribs are carried with it from thesaws, so that the latter no longer pass operatively through the ribs.

Secured to the rock-shaft G, journaled in proximity to the saws a andpreferably in the main frame A subjacent to the saws, are a series ofdetectors g, preferably in the form of a grid or comb g, the fingers ofwhich extend upward between the saws, as indicated by dotted lines inFig. 2. Said fingers do not directly contact with the sides of the saws,but are fitted to the spaces between the saws in such close proximity tothe sides of the latter that any undue accumulation of cotton lint onthe saws will contact with the fingers, pushing them forward,and therebyturn the shaft G. Of course it will be understood that it is notnecessary to extend a finger between each two saws,as some of them maybe omitted, and, in fact, any suitably-constructed device that willdetect such accumulation of cotton on the saws and be moved thereby Iconsider within the scope of the term detector. Secured to the shaft G,Fig. 2, preferably near one end thereof,is the arm gicarrying a weight 9adjustable thereon and adapted to be held in position by a set-screw 9This arm and Weight serve to hold the shaft G in the position indicatedin Fig. 2, with the fingers g of the comb projecting upward,any suitablestop 9 preventing undue turning of the shaft. On or near the end of theshaft G there is secured a trip or cam finger 9 which normally restsupon the under surface of a catch g suitably pivoted to some stationarypart, as the frame A, at g and having at its free end a hook or turnedpoint g". The construction and general arrangement of these parts aresuch that turning of the shaft G by the forward movement of thedetectors or fingers will cause the cam or trip 9 to lift the latch 9and while I have shown and described a particular means for doing thisit is to be understood that my invention is not to be construed aslimited to this specific structure. For instance, the detector might bein the form of separate fingers projecting from the shaft G, or it mightbe a continuous piece having slots therein to form the fingers, and thetrip or cam 9 might be merely a pin or projection, it being onlynecessary that the detector shall cause the shaft to turn when cottonadheres to the saws and that the turning of the shaft will lift thelatch, all as will be obvious without further illustration.

Mounted to turn in suitable bearings, preferably in the main frame andin proximity to the lower end of the gin-breast C, is the shaft M,carrying any suitable means, as fingers or cams m m, upon which normallyrests the lower end of the gin-breast in a manner such that turning ofthe shaft M will cause the fingers or cams to raise the breast from thesaws, and the breast will tend to turn the shaft in the oppositedirection by its weight resting on the fingers or cams. Secured to thisshaft in any convenient location is the handlever L, whereby the shaftmay be turned by hand when desired.

Secured to the shaft M by the pin 19 Fig. 3, is the arm 19, having the81015811 11 in which the pin 17 may freely work from end to end, so thatthe shaft and arm 1) may be relatively moved, and secured to the freeend of the arm 2) is the strap, cord, or chain to, which, passing overthe guide-pulley p at the rear of the machine, has secured to its endthe weight W, normally tending to turn the shaft M and its fingers orcams m m to lift the breast C. On the hub of arm 19 is fixed the catchor pin m which, being normally engaged by the hooked end of the latch gprevents turning of the arm, and consequently the shaft M, under stressof weight \V, the normal working position of the parts being representedin Figs. 2 and It will be evident from Figs. 2 and 3 that while thelatch g and catch m prevent the arm from turning under the stress of theWeight W yet the shaft M can be turned by the hand-lever L when desired,during which operation the pin p fixed to the shaft M, simply moves fromone end of the slot 17 to the other. Thus without disturbing the safetyattachment the shaft M may be turned by hand and the breast raised atany time as desired.

Mounted, preferably, upon the top of the main frame, so as to supplyseed-cotton to the gin-breast through the opening 0 in the top thereof,is the gin-feeder F, of any usual or desired construction and thereforeunnecessary to illustrate or describe in detail. The feeder, of whateverconstruction, is driven from the pulley f on the saw-shaft a through thebelt f which passes over pulley f on the main driving-shaftfof thefeeder. The pulley f is loose on the shaft f and is given drivingconnection therewith by means of a clutch f of any usual construction.One member of the clutch f is engaged by the forked arms f and f, thelatter of which is pivoted atj and consists of a simple hand-leverwhereby the clutch may be operated to throw the members into and out ofengagement. The other forked arm f consists of a bell-crank leverpivoted at f on the bracket f and having pivotal connection at f withthe rod/" the other end of which detachably engages a pin 7 on thegin-breast. From this construction it will be obvious that as thegin-breast is raised the forked arm f' will be operated to unclutch theshaft f from driving connection with the pnlleyf and as it is loweredthe reverse action takes place.

The device so far described serves to stop the feeder and to raise thebreast of any gin in which the ginning operation is not being properlyperformed, and it also admits of the attendant raising the breast of anygin by the hand-lever L without disturbing the safety attachment.Inasmuch, however, as gins are usually operated in series of three ormore, as indicated in Fig. 4, it is desirable also to provide somedevice whereby the breasts of all the gins maybe simultaneously raisedand lowered. To this end and in connection with my safety attachment Iprovide means for freeing the breasts of all the gins to the action ofthe breast-raising devices and for returning the parts to normalposition, and while the device may be varied in construction Ipreferably provide a shaft S, mounted in any usual bearings s andextending across the tops of all the gins of the series, and to one orboth ends thereof I secure a handwheel S. Fixed to said shaft atsuitable intervals are the cross-arms s or other desired liftingdevices, one for each gin, and to one end of each cross-arm is secured aconnection 3 whose other extremity is attached to the weight XV. To theother end of each cross-arm is secured the connection siwhose otherextremity is attached. to the shaft G, preferably by the arm or otherprojection.

From this construction it will be evident that with the parts in Workingposition, as'indicated in Fig. 2, if it is desired to raise the breastsof all the gins the attendant has only to turn the shaft S to raise theconnections 3 when the trips or fingers g ,secured to the shaft G,willbe operated to free the hooked ends of levers g from the catches mwhereupon the weights W will at once act through the arms to p to liftthe breasts of all the gins of the series. To return the breasts. of allthe gins of the series to lowered or working position, it is onlynecessary to turn the. shaft S in the opposite direction,which will liftthe weights, and the weight of the breasts acting on the fingers or camsm 772' will turn the shafts M, so that the hooks on the lovers g Willengage the catches m on the arms 19, and thus automatically return thesafety attachment to position for detecting improper ginning.

The parts Y, Y, and Y are of any usual or preferred form of pneumatic orother feed attachment, and as it forms no part of my present inventionneeds no further description.

i/Vhile I have described the above mechanism as embodying my invention,I desire it to be understood that I do not limit myself to theparticular mechanism.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1 In a safety attachment for cotton-gins, the combination of the saws, adetector to feel for and detect accumulation of cotton on the saws, andmeans controlled by the detector for rendering the parts inoperative onmovement of the detector.

2. In a safety attachment for cotton-gins,

I the combination of the saws, a detector to feel for and detectaccumulation of cotton on the saws, a gin-breast, and means controlledby the detector for moving the breast from the SELWS.

to feel for and detect accumulations of cotton on the saws, and meansunder control of the detector for moving the breast from the saws andstopping the feeder.

5. In a safety attachment for cotton-gins, the combination of a pivotedgin-breast, the saws projecting and working therein, a detectorcomprising fingers projecting between the saws and means controlledbysaid detector to lift the breast from the saws.

6. In a safety attachment for cotton-gins the combination of the feederand operative means therefor, the movable gin-breast, the sawsprojecting and working therein,'a detector to feel for and detectaccumulation of cotton on the saws, means controlled by the detector formoving the breast from the saws, and connections between the breast andfeeder, to render the latter inoperative on movement of the breast fromthe saws.

7. In a safety attachment for cotton-gins, the combination of the saws,the gin-breast, a rock-shaft provided with devices for moving saidbreast, means normally tending to turn the rock-shaft and move thebreast from the saws, a catch for preventing such movement of therock-shaft, and a detector movable by accumulation of cotton on the sawsto release the catch and thereby permit the breast to be moved.

8. In a safety attachment for cotton-gins, the combination of the saws,the gin-breast movable toward and from the saws, a detector to feel forand detect accumulation of cotton on the saws, means under the controlof the detector normally tending to move the breast from the saws, andmanually-operative devices for moving the detector to thereby free saidmeans to eifect movement of the breast.

9. In a safety attachment for cotton-gins, the combination of the saws,the pivoted breast, a shaft having devices for moving said breast, meansfor turning said shaft to thereby lift the breast, a catch to normallyrestrain the operation of said means, a handlever on said shaft, andprovisions whereby the shaft may be turned by said hand-leverindependently of the said means.

10. In a safety attachment for cotton-gins, the combination of thesaws,the pivoted breast and means for raising the breast from the saws,devices for holding said means inoperative, and a trip for freeing saidmeans from the control of said devices to thereby raise the breast.

11. In a safety attachment for cotton-gins, the combination of the saws,the pivoted breast, and means for raising the breast from the saws,devices for holding said means inoperative, a trip for freeing saidmeans from the control of said devices to thereby raise the breast, andmechanism to return said means to the control of said devices.

12. In combination, a series of gins each having a movable breast, meansfor raising said breasts, devices for holding said means inoperative, atrip connected to each gin for freeing said means from the control ofsaid devices, and mechanism for simultaneously actuating the trips ofall the gins of the series.

13. In combination, a series of gins each having a movable breast, meansfor moving said breasts, devices for holding said means inoperative, atrip connected to each gin for freeing said means from the control ofsaid devices, mechanism for actuating the trips of all the gins of theseries, and for returning the parts to their normal positions.

14. In a cotton-gin, the combination of the pivoted breast,the saws, ashaft having devices thereon for moving the breast from the saws,

adapted to be moved by cotton thereon and connections between the latchand detector to operate the former on movement of the latter to free theshaft to the action of its operating means.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ABNER D. THOMAS.

\Vitnesses:

A. H. THOMAS,

BEN D. SCHAAT).

